Love Variety Show: The despised me exploded in popularity

All was settled.

From the moment the other person unexpectedly started the fight to the end of the scuffle, it was only a short one or two minutes. The only ones left standing in the alley were Xu Qingyan and Xiao Shujun.

Having money really felt different. In the past, getting bullied meant you still had to worry about compensating if a fight broke out. Now he didn't think about these things at all, vaguely adopting the mentality of a nouveau riche.

In fact, he had become exactly that.

His bank account housed one or two million, and he had no intentions of buying a house or car, literally nowhere to spend it. Moreover, that sum was not the full extent of Xu Qingyan's net worth.

"Blue and White Porcelain," no one knew how much money it could sell for. Its unpublished... "Money isn't everything," but it enabled him to act without too much caution or fear.

"Let's leave here first," Xu Qingyan quickly led Xiao Shujun away.

As the streetlights came on, Xu Qingyan walked Xiao Shujun back to her car and glanced around to make sure no one was following. He didn't inquire further into Xiao Shujun's personal affairs, merely saying,

"For safety's sake, Director Xiao, you should head back first."

"What about you?"

"I have some urgent matters to attend to and am planning to leave now," Xu Qingyan briefly explained, "Anyway, that's that for now. Please be careful on the road, Director Xiao."

"I'm worried about you. How about I wait here for you?" Xiao Shujun grasped the steering wheel, her face showing determination, "Where is your car parked? Otherwise, I won't have peace of mind leaving."

"Okay then," Xu Qingyan didn't waste words. Find your next adventure on My Virtual Library Empire

He went back across the street, brought his car over, switched between high and low beams, rolled down the window, and honked his horn. Xiao Shujun's BMW hadn't turned off its engine and started to follow as she saw the signal in the rearview mirror.

The two of them drove out of the old city district, one after the other, and stopped at an open space near a large bridge.

The New Year's Eve was imminent, with no moon in the sky, and the dry, cold night wind blew.

With a bang, both of them got out of their cars.

Xiao Shujun couldn't care less about her hair being messed up by the cold wind, and her complexion looked somewhat dejected. She didn't want to complicate matters further, but the reality was staring her in the face.

Regardless of whether she believed it or not, she was being dragged forward.

"You helped me last time, and I owe you a lot again this time."

"Just happened to pass by," Xu Qingyan said.

She pulled out a slim cigarette and realizing she had no lighter, she looked at Xu Qingyan. He was also looking at her, shaking his head gently. He didn't smoke, so of course, he wouldn't carry a lighter.

The slight inconveniences earlier coupled with the night's peculiar events made all her emotions surge to her heart then and there.

Perhaps being away from the crowd played a part, as all the long-suppressed emotions exploded in an instant. Before she could properly articulate her words, she suddenly broke down.

Her legs felt light and floaty, even standing was a struggle.

Xu Qingyan didn't come over to support her, knowing well that decorum was important at this moment. After all, the other person was a leader, not just a woman, and being too presumptuous now could easily backfire.

He knew that in Xiao Shujun's heart, through two instances of unexpected assistance, he had at least established a reputation of being dependable and stable.

The departments they belonged to didn't intersect often, and even when they did, it was He Guojin and Director Xiao who would communicate. But now, he and Xiao Shujun had a private connection.

Xiao Shujun took a moment to compose herself and get her emotions in order.

"Don't worry, I'll handle the following matters, and I truly thank you."

"Of course, Director Xiao," Xu Qingyan nodded.

"You have urgent matters tonight, right?"

"Yeah."

"Alright, go ahead then," Xiao Shujun's eyes lowered slightly, "I'll invite you for a meal in a few days. I'll add your private WeChat. Last time I added only your phone number."

Ding, the two exchanged their private WeChat contacts.

After a brief exchange of words, Xiao Shujun gave Xu Qingyan a lingering look before hurrying away.

Xu Qingyan stood there, watching the red taillights of the BMW disappear at the end of the road. He then let out a sigh of relief and turned back to his car.

He leaned back in the driver's seat, opened Xiao Shujun's Moments, and was surprised to find he had access. Scrolling down, he saw mostly travel and work photos.

After glancing through a few, he exited.

He drove towards the airport.

The traffic was relentless on the road, and with the windows down, he thought about the events that had just transpired. He had recorded a video beforehand, and there wasn't a single camera in that place.

But he didn't plan to mention it; it was enough that he knew. He actually didn't have much confidence in dealing with people like He Guojin and Xiao Shujun, whom he had never encountered.

Talking about how to manipulate human relationships was definitely unrealistic. At best, he could grasp the nuances and even if he didn't get anything in return, at least he wouldn't lose out.

Shaking his head, he threw all the cluttered thoughts out of his mind.

After all, this was merely a brief interlude, an inconsequential matter.

Ultimately, strength must come from within. If he couldn't produce good work in the future, even networking with top leaders would be useless. It would be nothing but self-delusion.

.....

At the airport, Xu Qingyan picked up Lin Wanzhou and Qi Ting.

Qi Ting giggled, waving at him to say hello, "Hello, Teacher Xu."

"Your schedule is quite tight. Any later and you would've spent New Year's at the airport," Xu Qingyan said casually as he drove, thinking about where to take the two celebrities for some fun.

"You say that, Teacher Xu, but one year we really did spend New Year's at the airport," Qi Ting recounted past events, talking nonstop like an open bamboo tube pouring out beans.

Throughout the journey, Qi Ting did most of the talking, with Lin Wanzhou occasionally chiming in.

Driving, Xu Qingyan casually joined the conversation. He first took the two ladies to a fancy restaurant for a meal that cost over a thousand yuan.

It claimed to serve high-end Shaanxi cuisine, but in reality, Shaanxi cuisine has never been about grandiose dishes with few signature offerings. The court dishes of yesteryears were long lost.

What was memorable were mostly various types of carbs; on the contrary, places like the Muslim Quarter did it with more character.